The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to the field of heart care, and more particularly, to tools for characterizing heart disease.
Many people with cardiovascular disease suffer from complex lesions, wherein a decision must be made whether to perform percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), such as a stent, for example, or to perform coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG). Generally, if only one or two lesions are found, and these lesions are not in the main coronary vessels, PCI is recommended. However, in cases of multiple lesions (three or more), or when a lesion is found in the left main artery, the decision is based on many factors which are weighed subjectively by the interventional cardiologist and by the cardiac surgeon.
The SYNTAX Score is an angiographic tool used to characterize the coronary vasculature disease state and predict outcomes of coronary intervention based on anatomical complexity. SYNTAX Score grades the complexity of the coronary artery disease, which also allows for comparison between patients and for more effective communication between the doctors. This scoring calculation method has been recommended by professional societies of medical heart-care specialists as an integral part of the decision making process in complex cardiovascular cases.